The world’s largest tax services company is getting even bigger, with a new office in Lawrence.

H&R Block Inc. is opening the tax year with a new office at 520 W. 23rd St., in the former Tallmon & Tallmon jewelry store near 23rd and Louisiana streets, in the Louisiana Purchase shopping center.

The office has 11 employees. All are tax professionals gleaned from the Kansas City, Mo.-based company’s three other Lawrence offices, where staff rosters have been expanded in anticipation of the new place opening.

The goal: Provide “seasoned” tax advice and preparation services for people all over town, with a focus on the growing areas of southeastern Lawrence, said Kathleen Nikodym, office manager.

“We’re been trying to get a new office now for a long time,” said Nikodym, entering her sixth tax season in Lawrence. “We’re lucky. They’re opening 600 new offices that are this type — full-service offices. This will be more convenient for people on the east side of town. They won’t have to go out west or all the way up north.”

The office expects to handle more than 1,000 returns this tax season, with the bulk coming soon after W-2 forms are mailed Jan. 28. After mid-February, Nikodym said, demand typically slows until picking up in April, with the pending arrival of the April 15 deadline for filing returns and sending payments.

“If people are getting a refund, they want their refund now,” Nikodym said. “Then the rest of the season is spent doing people who perhaps owe. They’re not as anxious to get in here.”

The new office is equipped to handle individual and business customers, Nikodym said, but corporate returns will be referred to the H&R Block Premium office at 1201 Wakarusa Drive.

Another company with preparation offices in town — Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc., based in Parsippany, N.J. — enters the tax season with the same Lawrence resources of a year ago: two year-round offices, plus a seasonal operation inside Wal-Mart.

April Lynch, general manager for Jackson Hewitt in Lawrence and Topeka, said she wasn’t worried about the increased competition, given Lawrence’s continued residential and business growth.

“There’s enough business for everybody,” Lynch said.

H&R Block served 21.6 million clients during its past fiscal year. The company reported having 11,200 tax offices worldwide, with 15,300 full-time employees and another 96,000 seasonal employees added for tax season.

H&R Block had revenues of $4.2 billion is 2004, up from $3.7 billion a year earlier.